Musical toy.



H. A. GRASS.

MUSICAL TOY. APPLlcATloN r|LED1uNE26.1s16.

Patented May 8,1917.

ANT FIC.

MUSICAL TOY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented l/ay 8, 1917.

Application led June 26, 1916. Serial No. 105,785.

To @ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HENRY ANDREW GRASS, a citizen of the United Statesof America, and resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Musical Toys, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to musical skipping ropes of the kind in which thehandles are provided with mechanism for making the musical tones whilethe child is skipping the rope.

The object of my invention is to provide an impro-ved construction andarrangement whereby .effective musical tones are obtained by a verysimple and novel form of mech anism in either` one or both of thehandles of the rope.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features ofconstruction and combinations tending to increase the generaldesirability and effectiveness of a musical skipping rope of thisparticular character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends, my invention consists in mattershereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of oneof the handles of a skipping rope embodying the principles of myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section on line 2-2 in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line 8 3 in Fig. l.

Fig. 4L is an enlarged longitudinal section of the end portion of thehandle.

Fig. 5 shows a complete skipping rope equipped with two handles of thekind shown in Figs. l to t, inclusive.

As thus illustrated, my invention comprises a handle A of wood or anyother1 suitable material. Said handle is bored longitudinally, so thatit is hollow, and is closed at its outer end by the integral portion a,or by any other suitable means. The inner end of the handle is closed bya disk B, and a longitudinal shaft C extends through this disk andengages the bearing c at its other end, which bearing is formed in thecenter of the integral portion a'. of the handle. This shaft is providedwith a threaded portion for the disk I), which is adjacent the outer endof the handle, and the inner end of the shaft is formed with a crank-arm1 which has an eye 2 for the end portion of the rope 3, so that when therope is swung around it will rotate the shaft C within the handle.Adjacent the disk B, the said shaft is provided with a thick shoulder Efor the disk e, the latter being similar to the disk D, except that onlythe latter is threaded and screwed onto the shaft. The wires F extendthrough notches 4f in the disks D and e, and are looped around theportions of these disks between adjacent notches, in the manner shown inFig. 3, so that a plurality of wires extend between the two disks. Byrotating the disk D, and also the disk e, these wires F can be tightenedto give the desired tone. The plectrums Gr may be of any suitable form,and, as shown, are each in the form of a staple-shaped piece of metaldriven through the side wall of the handle. (See Fig. 2.) Theseplectrums may be distributed around the surface of the handle in anydesired manner,- and are of a length to engage the wires F, causing thelatter to vibrate and give forth musical tones when the shaft C isrotated by the swinging motion of the rope.

Both handles of the rope can be constructed in this manner, if sodesired. The construction practically involves a rotary harp in thehandle, the means for engaging the strings of the harp being heldstationary in the hand, as the handle A will be gripped tightly and heldagainst motion. The swinging motion of the rope causes the harp torotate within the handle, and the engagement of the strings or wireswith the plectrums causes the desired musical effect.

The cylindric walls of the handle can be provided with perforations orapertures 5 to allow the sound vibrations to pass out of the handle.

I do not limit myself to the exact construction shown and described.

What I claim as my invention is z- 1. In a musical skipping rope, ahandle, a rotary harp in said handle, and means in the handle forengaging and vibrating the strings of the harp during the rotationthereof by the swinging motion of the rope.

2. The structure of claim 1, substantially as shown and described, saidharp comprising a longitudinal shaft provided with disks spaced apartthereon, and wires stretched between said disks.

3. The structure of claim l, substantially on the end of said shaft forthe end of the rope, a fixed shoulder on said shaft, a'disl:V

bearing against said shoulder,v said shaft having a threaded portion, adisk screwed onto said threaded portion,V and wires stretched betweensaid disks.

4. na musical skipping rope, a handle, a'

Vswinging, motion of the rope.`

5. Ina toy, a hollow body, a support in said body, said support and bodybeing ca'- pable of relative rotation, Wires stretched taut on saidsupport and extending Substantially parallel With the aXis of saidrotation, mea-ns on the inner surface of said body to engage and vibratesaid Wires, and meansto rotate said body and support relative to eachother. Y

Signed by me at Chicago, lllin'ois, this 15th day of June, 1916. Y YHENRY ANDREW' GRASS.

f Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,lay-addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

n Washington, D. C.

